The Transformation of Women Objectification in Multimodal Literary Adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Graphic Novel

Abstract

Traditionally, literary analyses have tended to concentrate on the analysis of narrative texts presented in words. However, many works of contemporary literature appeal to readers not only through texts, but also images and even audios. Graphic novel is a contemporary literary work that enables texts and images interact to create a complex whole. Adapted from a mash-up novel, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Graphic Novel has shifted its mode of engagement from telling mode in narrative literature into showing mode in graphic adaptation. Focusing on women's portrayal in the graphic novel adaptation, this paper discusses how the interaction of texts and images affect women objectification in the story. Hence, by applying Kress' multimodality, Nussbaum's objectification, and Kukkonen's graphic novel theories, this paper reveals that the way visualand verbal modes complement each other tointensify the objectification depicted in the graphic novel.